Sports Bulletin

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-The Netherlands and Germany both claimed their second victories of the competition to join France in the quarter-finals of the FIH Odisha Hockey Me’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021. South Africa and Korea were also winners, while Malaysia produced a magnificent defensive display to hold Belgium to a 1-1 draw. South Africa 5-1 Chile (Pool A) South Africa maintained hopes of reaching the competition quarter-finals, bouncing back from Wednesday’s defeat against Belgium to claim a comprehensive 5-1 triumph over Chile. South Africa will face Malaysia on Saturday knowing that a victory could be enough for a place in the last eight. Idrees Abdulla’s early goal gave South Africa a 1-0 lead that they did not extend until six minutes into the third quarter, when Peter Jarvis doubled the advantage. Chile hit back almost immediately thanks to Aguastin Amoroso’s penalty corner, but strikes from Cameron le Forestier (2) and Jacques van Tonder put the result beyond all doubt. “It feels good to win, especially after our loss against Belgium”, said Player of the Match Cameron le Forestier. “We decided to play our own brand of hockey, so I think that really worked down well for us, especially in the third and the fourth quarters. The two goals I scored are prime examples of what we practice at training.” Chile’s Nicolás Abujatum said: “It was a really hard game. We made some mistakes that cost us each of the goals and that ended up as the score shows. Each game teaches us the mistakes that we have to correct. Now we will start preparing our next match against Belgium and play the best we can.” Korea 5-1 USA (Pool C) Like South Africa, Korea were also beaten on their opening match – losing 12-5 in a bewildering clash with the Netherlands – but showed real character to claim a 5-1 victory over USA, maintaining their hopes of a quarter-final berth. First half goals from Lee Seungwoo, Jeong Jun Seong and Hwang Gyudong put the Koreans in control, with Kim Taeho’s second quarter double being split by a field goal from USA’s Wyatt Katz. Korea will have to defeat Spain in their final pool match in order to guarantee a place in the competition knock-out phase.  Yesterday we had a tough match against the Netherlands, where we conceded too many penalty corners”, said Korea’s Kim Taeho, who was named Player of the Match. “Today we’re happy that we could win the three points. Against Spain, we must win to hope to reach the quarter finals." USA’s Jatin Sharma said:“Yesterday we had a team talk. We all have to go out there. Don’t care about what environment we’re in. Forget the nerves. Play with confidence and show some pride. I think today we had a lot of mental lapses, with silly mistakes but if we fix that, we can have a much better game next time.” Spain 2-3 Netherlands (Pool C) A dramatic late penalty corner from Miles Bukkens gave the Netherlands a second successive victory, beating Spain 3-2 to guarantee their safe passage through to the competition quarter finals. A thrilling contest saw the Dutch open a 2-0 lead thanks to first half goals Sheldon Schouten and Guus Jansen, with Spain dragging themselves level in the third quarter through Borja Lacalle and Pau Cunill. Bukkens netted the winner with just one minute of the match remaining, giving the Netherlands six points from their opening two matches in Bhubaneswar. “First of all, very proud of the team, from the reserve players to the staff”, said Player of the Match Luke Dommershuijzen of the Netherlands. “So, well done everyone! We were leading 2-0 and then Spain came back but we believed in ourselves, showed a lot of character and scored the winning goal. You can only enjoy this!” Spain’s Alvaro Portugal said: “We’re a bit disappointed because we were 0-2 down and then we came back but we conceded a silly corner at the end of the match and lost the game. We now have to focus all our efforts in the match against Korea and we have to win! We have to go to the quarter finals.” Argentina 2-3 Germany (Pool D) Germany survived a frenetic final few minutes to claim a 3-2 win over Argentina, moving themselves onto six points and guarantee a place in the competition quarter-finals. Mateo Poljaric and team captain Benedikt Schwarzhaupt gave Germany, the six-time Junior World Cup champions, a two-goal lead before Bruno Stellato’s penalty corner halved the deficit midway through the third quarter. Hannes Müller restored the two-goal cushion on the stroke of quarter time, but Franco Agostini breathed new life into Argentina’s chances. However, it was not to be, leaving Argentina needing to defeat Pakistan in their final pool match to confirm their place in the last eight. “The last five minutes were pretty intense”, said Germany captain Benedikt Schwarzhaupt, who was named Player of the Match. “Argentina was a very tough opponent, very passionate. We’re very glad that we won today and ensured that we’ve got one foot into the quarter-finals. Now we need to recover and look at what went well today and what didn’t. Then we have our match against Egypt with the objective to finish on the first spot of our pool.” Argentina’s Facundo Zarate said: “We already knew that it would be a tough game, a very physical game. Now, we need to focus on the next match. Against Pakistan, like for the other teams, we expect a tough, physical and very skilful match. We’ll be ready to fight.” Malaysia 1-1 Belgium (Pool A) An extraordinary defensive effort helped Malaysia claim a draw against Belgium, with goalkeeper Shamir Shamsul producing a Player of the Match performance to earn his team what could be a precious point in their quest for a quarter-final berth. The result sees both teams move onto four points, one point ahead of South Africa going into the final round of pool matches. Belgium were dominant but fell behind on the stroke of half time when Amirul Azahar fired home a penalty corner rebound. The Europeans had to wait until the fourth quarter before finally restoring parity, with Thibeau Stockbroekx slamming home a brilliant penalty corner effort – the only time they managed to beat the superb Shamsul – to ensure the points were shared.  “Thank you for the award”, said goalkeeper Shamsul on receiving his Player of the Match prize. “We played well as a team to get the result. We will work hard in the next game [against South Africa].” Belgium captain Dylan Englebert said: “We wanted to win this game. It was not an easy game, they defended really well. Their keeper had a good game and they defended hard. We maybe lacked a bit of luck at the end. We were happy to come back at 1-1, but we wanted to score that last goal but it didn’t come today. Now we have a small amount of time to prepare for our next game [against Chile], so our focus is on that now.” The Junior World Cup action continues Saturday (27 November) with a further five matches being played. Pakistan take on Egypt in Pool D in the first match of the day at 09:30 Indian Standard Time (UTC +05.30) before the France face Canada in Pool D at 12:00. South Africa’s Pool A clash against Malaysia begins at 14:30, being followed by Belgium versus Chile, also in Pool A, at 17:00. The final match of the day sees reigning champions India face Poland in Pool B at 19:30. Results (Day-3): South Africa 5-1 Chile (Pool A) Player of the Match: Cameron le Forestier (RSA) Korea 5-1 USA (Pool C) Player of the Match: Kim Taeho (KOR) Spain 2-3 Netherlands (Pool C) Player of the Match: Luke Dommershuijzen (NED) Argentina 2-3 Germany (Pool D) Player of the Match: Benedikt Schwarzhaupt (GER) Malaysia 1-1 Belgium (Pool A) Player of the Match: Shamir Shamsul (GK – MAS)

Ali Ahmed Lahore (November 26, 2021):-Ranking cannot be improved without participating in the international hockey events, which requires resources, as national game has always had government patronage which won awards at international level, Secretary General, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Olympian Asif Bajwa said this while talking to media at Lahore Press Club on Friday. Asif Bajwa, who was part of 1994 Sydney World Cup gold medalist and Pride of Performance Olympian, further said, “Hockey is one of the Olympic amateur sports and amateur sports are supported by governments or institutions around the world. We are 3 times Olympic champion, 4 times world champion as well as Asian Games, Champions Trophy, Pakistan has made a name for itself and ruled in all over the hockey world. Pakistan Hockey has always had government patronage during the hay-days of hockey. Owing to non-participation in the pro-league made matters worse and the Pakistan team downed 13th to 17th position in the international rankings, “he further said. Secretary General PHF Asif Bajwa further said that other factors including the epidemic situation hindered the development of the national game and our teams could not get international exposure. “Now, the things have started to get better, Pakistan junior team is joining an international event like Junior World Hockey after eight years. He said that senior and junior teams couldn’t play at international level for more than two and a half years. PHF has been conducting training camps at the domestic level. Ranking cannot be improved without participating in international events. The annual budget of hockey in the neighboring country is 100 times more than our budget. We are lacking the finance too, “he concluded.

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-An astonishing 70 goals were scored on the second day of action at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021, with Spain setting a new record for goals scored at the event in a single match as the European side put 17 goals past the USA. The previous record was a 13-0 victory for India against Singapore at the 1982 Junior World Cup. Wins were recorded by Argentina, Netherlands, Spain, France and India, and an incredible display of attacking hockey in all five matches meaning no match saw fewer than eight goals rattling home, with the highest scoring matches seeing 17 goals scored. Argentina 14-0 Egypt (Pool D) Argentina got their Junior World Cup campaign off to a flying start when they netted 14 times against a determined but error-prone Egypt. Los Leoncitas captain Facundo Zarate started and finished the goal-fest with a well-taken penalty corner in the third minute of the game and a calm penalty stroke in the 58th minute. What followed was a clinical display of goal scoring as Argentina showed their quality with elegant, free-flowing passing and a wide variation of goal scoring and 10 different names on the score-sheet. Coach Lucas Rey will be pleased with his team’s performance but will also be wary of the tougher test his team will face in their next encounter with Germany. A happy Facundo Zarate speaking after the match, said: “We are very happy with the result. We trained a lot to be here and achieve such a result. We stayed very focused during the entire match. For the next match, we know that Germany is a very tough opponent. So, we will be there, ready to play against them and we will see how it will be going.” “We made a lot of mistakes with passes, but we learnt a lot in this game,” said Egypt’s Khaled Elgandy. “But we kept fighting until the last minute. We will look at our performance in details and try to do better in the next match. We came here to do our best.” Netherlands 12-5 Korea (Pool C) While the Netherlands will be happy to have started with a win and to have scored an impressive 12 goals, Head Coach Michiel van der Struijk will be concerned at the defensive errors that allowed Korea to score five times in response. In Miles Bukkens, the Netherlands have found a goal-scoring supremo. The forward showed speed, flair and awareness to score five goals. However, teams will also be watching the penalty corner proficiency of Jeong Jun Seong of Korea who was unerring as he sent the ball past Flip Wijsman three times. Five goal hero Miles Bukkens said: “We played a good game but several times we got a corner against us. They scored four penalty-corners, I think, so that’s bad and we can work on it. As to me scoring five goals, I like it. That gives me some confidence, which is perfect. Before the next match, we will rest because it was hot today, drink a lot and regroup with our team.” Spain 17-0 USA (Pool C) Argentina may well have thought they had posted the top score of the day, but Spain had other ideas. USA held the European side at bay for seven minutes but then the floodgates opened. Manuel Rodriguez scored twice in the opening quarter, Guillermo Fortuno scored twice in the final minute of the game and another 13 goals were scored in between. USA worked hard throughout but they were no match for the slick passing and speed of decision-making displayed by the Junior EuroHockey champions. Gerard Clapes scored four goals for Spain. he said: “I’m very proud of the team. We played as a team. We have good feelings for the next match against the Netherlands, which is very important. As we all know they are a very, very good team, and it will be very difficult. But it’s very important to win to ensure our path into the quarter finals and, if possible, to reach the first place of the group.”          USA captain Jatin Sharma spoke about the nerves that had struck his team as they took to the field: “I think coming out in the first quarter a lot of us were playing a bit with their nerves. That can happen, we all know that. Tonight, we will rewatch the game, talk about what we need to do better, get feedback from our coaches and implement that tomorrow.” France 7-1 Poland (Pool B) France continued their sparkling start to the competition with another energetic performance that put them firmly at the top of Pool B. Despite the scoreline this wasn’t a walkover as Poland defended hard and created their own chances. But France brought with them the confidence that the previous day’s victory over the host nation India had given them and they were strong and composed from the first whistle. The opening goal was within a minute of the start and a 3-0 cushion before the end of the first quarter effectively put the game beyond Poland’s reach. Corentin Sellier scored three goals for France, adding to the one he scored against India the previous day. Reflecting on the match against Poland he said: “It was important for us to be focused on this game, to put some intensity and play a good match. I’m really happy with our performance so far, both for the team and for myself. We want to continue in this competition and we will now focus on the next game.” It was a sanguine reaction from Poland’s Head Coach Jacek Adrian: “I said to my guys: ‘Well done!’. Because they tried in the second half to do something, to score more goals. It was a tough match for us. France is a very strong team. But we tried to show that we can play quite good hockey. Maybe not enough to win this match, but good. India is a special country for me. I used to be a national player and I came here six times. Lovely country, lovely food! Canada 1-13 India (Pool B) India bounced back from their loss at the hands of France to defeat Canada in a strong display of attacking play and clinical finishing. Despite Canada’s best efforts, India pushed and probed and then exploited the gaps that they created in the Canadian defence. The scoring opened with a goal from Uttam Singh, who later limped off with an ankle injury. The goals then came in a steady flow, with India keeping the pressure high until the final whistle. Both Sanjay and Player of the Match Hundal Singh scored hat tricks. Canada did rally on the stroke of half-time through a well-taken penalty corner from Chris Tardif but they were chasing shadows for much of the 60 minutes. India bounced back from their loss at the hands of France to defeat Canada in a strong display of attacking play and clinical finishing. Despite Canada’s best efforts, India pushed and probed and then exploited the gaps that they created in the Canadian defence. The scoring opened with a goal from Uttam Singh, who later limped off with an ankle injury. The goals then came in a steady flow, with India keeping the pressure high until the final whistle. Both Sanjay and Player of the Match Hundal Singh scored hat tricks. Canada did rally on the stroke of half-time through a well-taken penalty corner from Chris Tardif but they were chasing shadows for much of the 60 minutes. Struggling to make himself heard over the excitement following their win, Hundal: “We knew we had to come back and have a good performance today. For the next match [against Poland] it is all about building on this performance.” Canada’s captain Manveer Jhamat said: “It was an amazing game, unfortunately it was not the result we were after. It was a hard fought game and the guys worked right until the end. We were just unfortunate in the D at either end. For the next game, we will compete in the same way and we will move on from this. For every single game we prepare and we will be fully ready for the next game.” The Junior World Cup action continues on Friday (26 November) with a further five matches being played. All four of the teams in the opening two matches are seeking a first win. South Africa took on Chile in Pool A in the first match of the day at 09:30 Indian Standard Time (UTC +05.30) before Korea face Pool C rivals USA at 12:00. Spain will be seeking to continue winning ways in their Pool C clash against Netherlands, which begins at 14:30. This is followed by an intriguing clash between Argentina and Germany in Pool D at 17:00. The final match of the day sees Malaysia taking on Belgium in Pool B at 19:30. Results (Day-2): Argentina 14-0 Egypt (Pool D) Player of the Match: Facundo Zarate (ARG) Netherlands 12-5 Korea (Pool C) Player of the Match: Miles Bukkens (NED) Spain 17-0 USA (Pool C) Player of the Match: Gerard Clapes (ESP) France 7-1 Poland (Pool B) Player of the Match: Corentin Sellier (FRA) Canada 1-13 India (Pool B) Player of the Match: Hindul Singh (IND)

Bhubaneswar, India (Sports Report):-The opening day of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 featured five games, with Belgium, Germany, Poland and Malaysia all claiming important wins before France stole the headlines with a sensational triumph over hosts and reigning world champions India. The official opening ceremony took place ahead of the day’s final match between India and France, with the team captains and various luminaries being present for the unveiling of the trophy, which was conducted by and His Excellency Shri Ganeshi Lal, Hon’ble Governor of Odisha. FIH President Dr. Narinder Dhruv Batra, Mr. Rajinder Singh, Secretary General Hockey India, Mr. Gyanendro Ningombam, President Hockey India, Padma Shri Dr. Dilip Tirkey, Chairman Hockey Promotion Council and Shri Tusharkanti Behera, Hon’ble Minister of Sports & Youth Services Government of Odisha, were also in attendance as the showpiece competition commenced in style. Belgium 5-1 South Africa (Pool A) 2016 Junior World Cup silver medallists Belgium made the perfect start to their competition by claiming a 5-1 victory over South Africa in the opening match of the day. Roman Duvekot put Belgium into the lead seven minutes into the contest from a penalty corner, but South Africa hit back with a PC of their own when Jaques van Tonder netted on the stroke of quarter time. Nelson Onana restored Belgium’s lead with a second quarter field goal before the Europeans kicked on after half time. Duvakot, who was named Player of the Match, claimed a second goal from open play before strikes from Arnon van Dessel and Rik van Cleynenbreugel wrapped up all three points.  It’s a nice way to start the tournament”, said Belgium’s Roman Duvekot. “We’re quite happy. Hopefully we’ll keep growing in the tournament. It’s always important to start with a win. It brings us confidence. I hope we’ll keep getting better. Now, we will take a bit of rest, recover and have a good sleep!” Germany 5-2 Pakistan (Pool D) Six times Junior World Cup champions Germany cruised to a 5-2 victory over Pakistan in their opening fixture, with Robert Duckscheer scoring twice to be named Player of the Match. Germany had the ball in the Pakistan net inside the opening sixty seconds when Michel Struthoff’s strike deflected into the goal via a Green Shirts stick before Duckscheer added a second field goal just before the end of the first quarter. Pakistan hit back through Abdul Shahid early in the second quarter, but Maximilian Siegberg and Benedikt Schwarzhaupt took the score to 4-1 before Germany goalkeeper Anton Brinckman saved a penalty stroke ahead of the half time break. Muhammad Hammadudin gave Pakistan hope when he found the net with 11 minutes left to play, but Duckscheer’s emphatic second of the match put the result beyond all doubt. “We started very well in the first half”, said Germany’s Duckscheer. “I think the third quarter was a little bit up and down from our side. We were one man down during 10 minutes in this third quarter, so it was tough with these weather conditions. But overall, I’m very happy with the performance of my team. It was a good first match. Although we don’t know much about [upcomign opponents] Argentina until now, I think it is a very good team. Like the Pakistani players, they are technical, very fast and good in the attack. So, we have to defend well again, and our chances are good, I think.” Canada 0-1 Poland (Pool B) Poland claimed a narrow triumph over Canada in the third match of the day, giving the Europeans a wonderful platform to build on as they attempt to reach the competition quarter-finals. The only goal of the game came from the stick of Eryk Bembenek, who slapped home a penalty corner from the top of the circle in the 34th minute. It proved to be enough for the Poles to claim all three points, although Canada missed a glorious chance to get on the score-sheet through a penalty stroke just before half time, with Roopkanwar Dhillon’s powerful flick hitting the left post rather than the back of the net. “We are very happy”, said Poland’s Jakub Chume?czuk, the Player of the Match, after the contest. “We did everything we could and left a lot of heart on the pitch. It’s a good performance. I believe we controlled the whole game. Canada created a few scoring opportunities and even hit the goal post but we defended well and it paid off. Against [upcoming opponents] France, we will give everything we can to try to win and fight for the three points.” Malaysia 2-1 Chile (Pool A) Two brilliant penalty corner goals in the third quarter helped Malaysia overcome a strong challenge from Pan American champions Chile, with the team from Asia emerging 2-1 winners. Both penalty corner routines were perfectly executed, with Kamarulzaman Kamaruddin smashing home the opening goal in the 34th minute before Syarman Mat’s superb, angled deflection in the 43rd minute established what proved to be an unassailable lead. Sebastian Wolansky’s fine backhand strike from a penalty corner gave Chile a glimmer of hope, but it was Malaysia who deservedly took all three points from the contest.  “First, we are very happy because we won the match”, said Malaysia’s Amirul Azahar, the Player of the Match. “We have two matches ahead, so we must first recover and then have a good video session to prepare for the next match [against Belgium]. We have a lot of respect for Belgium because they were runners-up of the last Junior World Cup. We must study their game carefully.” India 4-5 France (Pool B) A Player of the Match performance from France captain Timothée Clément gave his team a sensational victory over title holders and hosts India, edging a nine-goal thriller. Clément and Benjamin Marque established a 2-0 lead inside the opening seven minutes, with India restoring parity through Uttam Singh and Sanjay before the end of a pulsating first quarter. Penalty corner goals either side of half time earned Clément a hat-trick and took the score to 4-2 before he produced a stunning stick save on his own goal-line from an India penalty corner. Corentin Sellier’s composed finish moved France closer to victory with 12 minutes to go before Sanjay’s second and third strikes of the match set up a dramatic finish. However, France held on to secure a famous win over India on home soil, giving coach Aymeric Bergamo a dream start to the world cup campaign.  “We won as a team, not as a single person, we won together”, said Clément - who represented France men at the 2018 Men's World Cup in Bhubaneswar - after the game. “It is incredible, and I am very happy for the team. To start the competition [in this way] is perfect. It’s important that we continue and win the other games because the competition is very long. It is not finished.” World Cup action continues on Thursday (25 November) with a further five matches being played. Argentina will take on Egypt in Pool D in the first match of the day at 09:30 Indian Standard Time (UTC +05.30) before the Netherlands face Pool C rivals Korea at 12:00. Spain’s Pool C clash against USA begins at 14:30, being followed by France versus Poland in Pool B at 17:00. The final match of the day sees Canada taking on hosts and reigning champions India in Pool B at 19:30. Results (Day-1): Belgium 5-1 South Africa (Pool A) Player of the Match: Roman Duvekot (BEL) Germany 5-2 Pakistan (Pool D) Player of the Match: Robert Duckscheer (GER) Canada 0-1 Poland (Pool B) Player of the Match: Jakub Chumenczuk (POL) Malaysia 2-1 Chile (Pool A) Player of the Match: Amirul Azahar (MAS) India 4-5 France (Pool B) Player of the Match: Timothée Clément (FRA)

ISLAMABAD (Sports Desk):-Germany beat Pakistan by 5-0 in the Juniors Hockey World Cup 2021 that started in India under banner of International Hockey Federation (FIH). According to available information from abroad, the match between Pakistan and Germany was played on the first day of the World Junior Hockey Cup in Bhubaneswar, India. The best and fastest game was played by both the teams. The German team scored a field goal in the opening moments of the game with the help of their player Struthoff Michel. The second field goal for the German team was scored by Duckscheer Robert on a teammate and strengthened Germany's lead. Pakistan junior’s hockey team scored a field goal in the 18th minute through Abdul Hanan Shahid and reduced the deficit to one goal. Germany's Siegburg Maximilian scored a field goal in the 19th minutes Schwarzhaupt Benedikt scored a penalty corner in the 22nd minute and Duckscheer Robert scored a field goal in the 54th minute. Hammad Anjum, a forward of Pakistan Juniors Hockey Team, scored a field goal in the 49th minute of the match. Pakistan junior hockey team will play the second pool match against Egypt on November 27, 2021 at same venue.

Lausanne, Switzerland (Sports Report):-Less than 24 hours before the start of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021, let's hear what all head coaches have to say. India – Graham Reid “Every coach who comes to an event as important as the Junior World Cup likes to think that they will be there at the end of the tournament. Certainly, our objective is to make that final game. To put ourselves in that category we first need to win the first three games in our Pool. So, we will be taking each game as it comes. That’s the first objective. After that, obviously if we end up in the quarter-finals and then the semi-finals, we’ll go from there. But certainly, we aim to be there at the end. Netherlands – Michiel van der Struijk “We’re very happy to be here in India. We already experienced a very warm welcome at the airport, so thanks a lot for that! It’s really good that we finally can compete with the other teams in this tournament. It’s very good for the players’ experience to play other cultures. It’s also good for their education so that they can finally join the national Men’s team, which is what they’re all looking for. Therefore, it’s also important that we learn a lot here. And of course, we want to win the tournament! Canada – Indy Sehmbi “We want to go and play our best hockey game. We know that we can play with every international team. It’s about getting consistent efforts from our group. At the Junior level, you don’t get as many games, so you don’t get a chance to test yourself as much, so for us here, it’s just about us going to play our best game and see how we go against some of the best teams in the world. I think the Junior World Cup is now considered a major event on the FIH calendar. It’s huge for our young athletes. Playing in India is amazing. We love the environment. This is such a professional environment for our athletes Poland – Jacek Adrian “For my players and for my team, this event is a good opportunity to play with the best hockey teams in the world. Our ambition is to play good hockey. We’ll try to do our best during this tournament. USA – Pat Harris “Being at the Junior World Cup is obviously a huge step for USA field hockey and in particular our junior team, so we are delighted to be here. I know the boys are excited at the opportunity to develop and see what the world’s best are doing and then, hopefully, over time, we can close that gap and, in the future, compete with the top teams. To all the fans at home just want to say thank you for the support. Without you, it would be difficult to be here, so thank you and ‘go USA.” South Africa – Sihle Ntuli “Firstly, we are really excited to be here and looking forward to competing. That is our objective for the tournament. The South African team’s highest finish was 10th at the last Junior World Cup so our objective is to finish in the top eight to get a quarter-final and, from there, we will take it one game at a time. The first thing is that I am super-excited for the boys to play at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. For me it is an experience for the players and already they are enjoying it, so it is a good two weeks in India. Message for our fans back home is that it is really unfortunate, due to the circumstances around Covid, that they haven’t been able to travel to with us, especially the parents. But the messages on social media have been very encouraging to the boys, so keep it up and hopefully we will make you and the nation proud.” Germany – Valentin Altenburg “We came here to Bhubaneswar with the ambition to play successful and attractive. Especially after these difficult two COVID years, my team and I are very thankful and even more motivated than ever before to compete against the friends from around the world. I believe every minute on the pitch in the next couple of weeks will make my team a better team. Also, getting to know this fascinating Indian culture will let my players grow as people of the world. Pakistan – Danish Kaleem “Due to Covid, we couldn’t expose our boys to international hockey but even in these trying circumstances, we will try our level best to perform in this event and we will try to reach the podium. The boys are very excited to play in a World Cup, it is the vision of any player to compete in this sort of tournament. There are 16 teams competing in this event so not only will they play hockey but they will learn from watching these 16 nations. We will play good hockey and we will try to surprise the others and we hope they will send us good wishes and that they will pray for our victory. Follow us on Watch.Hockey!” Korea – Kim Jongyi “We are aiming for the quarter-final – we will do our best. It is important to beat our rivals for the future of Korean hockey. Spain – Alejandro Siri “Our objective is to reach the first positions of the group so that we then play for the first eight positions of the tournament. Then, we aim to go as high as we can in the competition. For our players this is a very big tournament, so they are very excited to be here. Belgium – Jeroen Baart “In terms of ambitions, I think it’s clear that we all want to compete with the best. Last time [in 2016] we went to the final, so all the boys have ambitions to go very far. Let’s start with the pool games and afterwards we’ll see game-by-game. Argentina – Lucas Rey “Our mission as a team is to have a good performance during the whole tournament. It is very important. It is the most beautiful tournament under-21 to play, so we hope they [the players] can enjoy it. Cheer for us, support us! We will try to give our best to reach the top position that we can.” France – Aymeric Bergamo “Our mission is to play each match to the best of our ability, and for that we need a lot of mental strength. We want our hockey team to get out of the group stages and, if we succeed, we will do everything in our power to continue. My squad is particularly young and, for the most part, they don’t have any experience of high-level competition like this one. But the magic of playing hockey in India has been beneficial for French teams in the past, and this group wants to succeed together as a team. We are going to do everything we can to make you [the fans] proud, to go as far as we can in this competition. Your energy is very important to us, so please continue to support us. Chile – Alejandro Gomez “Our ambition is to grow as a team and to make the most of this opportunity, which Chilean hockey doesn’t get so often. Our objective is to reach the highest possible position in this tournament. Our players are enjoying being here in India, playing in this stadium which is unique. I don’t know if we’ll have another occasion to come back here, therefore our players are taking it very seriously. We haven’t come here for a walk around, we’re here to compete and we’re going to do that the best we can. I hope our fans will continue to accompany us like they’ve done during this long process. They’ve always helped us to keep ourselves at our best level. Be it our families, friends or everyone in the country. Malaysia – Wallace Tan “It’s important for the players to experience playing in the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup. It’s an important tournament for the careers of young players as it will help them step up to the senior level. Egypt – Abu-Talib Maggid “Our objective is to give an opportunity, some exposure and also some experience to future national players, as well as preparing the team for which most of them will be eligible to play for the next Junior World Cup as well. Due to the current circumstances, I think that reaching a similar ranking as in 2014 and 2016 is a realistic objective. However, we will always fight to get a little higher, which is our ambition.

Lausanne, Switzerland (Sports Bulletin Report):-The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is delighted to confirm the squad lists for the upcoming FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup South Africa 2021, the showpiece event where hockey’s rising stars will take to the field in the global showpiece in Potchefstroom.  The competition, which takes place from 5-16 December, is the first FIH World Cup event ever to take place on African soil. Although the Junior World Cup has a deserved reputation as being a competition in which the stars of the future showcase themselves for the first time, there are numerous players who have already made a considerable impression on the sport. Argentina are blessed by the presence of the Valentina Raposo, the brilliant 17-year-old defender who won silver with Las Leonas at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Issy Petter and Fiona Crackles are also Olympic medallists from Tokyo 2020, being part of the bronze medal-winning Great Britain team and now being named in the England squad for Potchefstroom. India’s women also have Olympians amongst their ranks, with Lalremsiami, Sharmila Devi and Salima Tete all included in the Junior World Cup squad after their remarkable fourth place finish in Tokyo. Jette Fleschütz (Germany) and Laura Barrios (Spain) are also Olympians from Tokyo, while Ambre Ballenghien and Charlotte Englebert are two of numerous players named in the Belgium squad to have played in the FIH Hockey Pro League. Looking ahead to the event, FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra said: “The Junior World Cup is a proven launch-pad for hockey’s brightest young talents, and we are certain that the 2021 competition in Potchefstroom will unveil many exceptional individuals who will dazzle us for years to come. “For many of the athletes, this will be the first time they have represented their nation on such a big stage. The honour of representing their respective countries is something that will live with each player for the rest of their lives, regardless of what they go on to achieve in life and sport. “I would like to thank the South African Hockey Association and North-West University and all their partners for their relentless energy in planning for this event. Our thanks must also go to the sponsors and all the volunteers who are crucial to making this event a success.

ISLAMABAD (Sports Desk):-As part of our continued build-up to the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021, Pool D preview is examining the qualification routes and past form of the teams that will compete at the showpiece event in India. Argentina, Germany and Pakistan – all previous winners of the competition – are joined by Egypt as representatives from four different continents meet in Pool D. A top two finish is the only way to secure a place in the competition quarter-finals and thus maintain hopes of Junior World Cup glory. Argentina How they qualified: 2nd Place: 2021 Men’s Junior Pan American Championship Junior World Cup history: 2016 – 5th, 2013 – 11th, 2009 – 6th, 2005 – 1st, 2001 – 2nd, 1997 – 6th, 1993 – 6th, 1989 – 5th, 1985 – 7th, 1979 – 6th About the team: Argentina’s sensational winning streak in the Men’s Junior Pan American Championship finally came to an end in Santiago earlier this year, with hosts Chile defeating the Argentines in the final to deny them a 12th straight title, a run that started back in Mexico City in 1978. However, that loss could well prove to be a motivating factor, as Argentina aim to add a second Junior World Cup title to the one claimed at the Rotterdam 2005 (NED) event. The team finished fifth at the 2016 Junior World Cup in Lucknow, India, where current senior stars Nicolas Keenan, Maico Casella, Agustin Bugallo and Thomas Habif were all involved. Bruno Stellato impressed in Santiago with four penalty corner conversion in four matches, so could be a player to watch in Bhubaneswar. Egypt How they qualified: Nominated by African Hockey Federation Junior World Cup history: 2016 – 15th, 2013 – 15th, 2009 – 14th, 2005 – 12th, 1997 – 9th, 1993 – 12th, 1989 – 10th, 1985 – 12th About the team: With the Junior Africa Cup 2021 in Namibia cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 global health pandemic, Egypt’s place at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 came courtesy of a nomination by the African Hockey Federation based on their superb title victory at the Junior Africa Cup in 2016. The Bhubaneswar competition will be their fifth successive Junior World Cup competition and their eighth in total, only missing the 1979, 1982 and 2001 competitions. A ninth-place finish at Milton Keynes 1997 (ENG) is their best performance to date, but the team will have high hopes of surpassing that achievement at the Kalinga Stadium. Germany How they qualified: 1st Place – EuroHockey Junior Championship Men 2019 Junior World Cup history: 2016 – 3rd, 2013 – 1st, 2009 – 1st, 2005 – 6th, 2001 – 3rd, 1997 – 3rd, 1993 – 1st, 1989 – 1st*, 1985 – 1st *, 1982 – 1st *, 1979 – 2nd * About the team: Germany sealed their place at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 by winning the EuroHockey Junior Championship Men 2019 in Valencia, Spain. That team contained handful of players who would go represent their country at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, including goalkeeper Alexander Stadler, Linus Müller and Justus Weigand. Germany are the most successful nation in the history of the Men’s Junior World Cup, having claimed the title on six occasions and medalling at 10 out of the 11 competitions staged to date. Pakistan How they qualified: Nominated by Asian Hockey Federation Junior World Cup history: 2013 – 9th, 2009 – 5th, 2005 – 7th, 1997 – 5th, 1993 – 2nd, 1989 – 3rd, 1985 – 3rd, 1982 – 3rd, 1979 – 1st About the team: Pakistan appeared on the men’s Junior World Cup podium on each of the first five competitions played between 1979 and 1993, winning the inaugural event and claiming one silver and three bronze medals. Since then, two fifth place finishes have been the best achieved, coming in 1997 and 2009. Always blessed with unpredictability and talent, the junior Green Shirts will set their sights high in Bhubaneswar. Pakistan’s place in the competition was confirmed by being nominated by the Asian Hockey Federation following the unfortunate COVID-19 related cancellation of the 2021 Junior Asia Cup, which acted as the qualification competition for the Junior World Cup in Bhubaneswar.  The opening match of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 will see Belgium facing South Africa on 24 November at the Kalinga Stadium, the outstanding venue which hosted the last FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup in 2018. The competition final will be played on 5 December.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne, Switzerland (November 20, 2021):-The last FIH Hockey Pro League matches of 2021 are set to take place on Friday 26 and Sunday 28 November and judging from previous encounters between the two competing teams, they will certainly be well worth tuning in for. The Netherlands men, the current European champions, will welcome Low Countries rivals Belgium to the Wagener Stadium, with the revamped Oranje team looking to make a positive start to their post Tokyo 2020 journey with new head coach Jeroen Delmee, taking on the reigning Olympic, World and FIH Hockey Pro League title holders. Delmee, a double Olympic champion with the Netherlands in a playing career that saw him make over 400 international appearances, has a squad full of youthful promise, one that is clearly planning towards the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and beyond. Talents such as Jorrit Croon, 23, and Thierry Brinkman, 26, are now seen as senior figures amongst the 24 players they had registered for the competition at the time of writing. Brinkman and goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak are the only two players with over 100 caps to their name, which is greatly contrasted by the frankly staggering levels of experience possessed by the Red Lions. With most of the team that won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 remaining together, their Pro League squad list contains sixteen players who are caps centurions. Six of those have over 200 caps with three more than 300, while the extraordinary, seemingly ageless John-John Dohmen has well over 400 international appearances to his name. Even though the collective international experience of Dohmen (418 caps), captain Felix Denayer (344), and Cedric Charlier (344) is significantly greater than the entire Dutch contingent combined (891), it will matter little when the two teams take to the field. Meetings between these two great rivals are always packed full of drama, with their FIH Hockey Pro League encounters being particularly memorable. In May of this year, the Netherlands powered to a crushing 4-0 away victory over Belgium in Antwerp, while their meeting last November was a thrilling 4-4 draw, with Belgium stealing the bonus point in the shoot-out. While we cannot predict what will happen, it is understandable that expectations will run high in the build-up.  The matches were originally set to be staged in Rotterdam but were switched to the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen due to enhanced covid restrictions in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, this means that no fans will be present in the arena. Up-coming Fixtures: Netherlands v Belgium (Men) Where: Wagener Stadium (Amsterdam, NED) Dates: Friday 26 and Sunday 28 November 2021

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne, Switzerland (November 18, 2021):-The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that the first ever senior World Hockey 5 a side event – which was initially scheduled in September this year but postponed due to COVID-related issues – will take place on 4-5 June 2022, in Lausanne, Switzerland. Ten teams from four continents, including some of the powerhouses of international hockey, will compete: Switzerland, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Poland (Men) Switzerland, India, Poland, South Africa and Uruguay (Women) Hockey5s is played with 5 athletes per team. It is particularly known for its non-stop end to end action, since the ball is in play for about 90% of a match, thanks to rebound-boards placed against the outside of the side-lines and back-lines. Furthermore, there are usually more goals with Hockey5s than with the more traditional 11-a-side format of hockey, since players can score from anywhere after the attacking line. Hockey5s is played on a smaller pitch, which enables to bring hockey to people in new and unexpected venues, sometimes even at the heart of the cities. Also, the match duration is shorter, with 2 halves of 10 minutes each. In 2019, in order to further boost the development of hockey globally through Hockey5s, the FIH Executive Board decided to create an FIH Hockey5s World Cup - with the inaugural edition planned in 2024 - and, in the near future, a Hockey5s World Tour, which will consist of events similar to Lausanne’s. Commenting on FIH Hockey5s Lausanne 2022, FIH CEO Thierry Weil stated: “It was truly heart-breaking to have to postpone the inaugural event and I’d like to extend our sincerest thanks to the local authorities, in particular the City of Lausanne and the Canton of Vaud, for their continuous trust and support. Hockey5s is a great format to promote our sport and especially introduce it to sports fans not yet familiar with hockey. I invite everyone to come to this world event and enjoy the speed, skills and fun of our game!”